Albany News March 2013

Welcome to the March 2013 edition of the Albany Stamps collector e-newsletter.

There are plenty of new stamp events to look forward to, with new stamp issues and new products added to our site www.albanystamps.co.uk including a large selection of folded and bar coded stamp booklets, First Day Covers, all 2012 presentation packs, miniature sheets and commemoratives.

New stamp issues

The Royal Mail on the 26th March 2013 is issuing 11 stamps to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the world’s longest running science fiction series in TV history, Doctor Who. The first episode was broadcast on the 23rd November 1963.

The stamps will feature each of the actors who have played the role of the Time Lord with the face of each Doctor appearing out of the iconic swirling screens made famous by the opening credits of the BBC TV show. The first two stamps are in black and white, as the first two incarnations of the Doctor were broadcast in monochrome.

Featured on the stamps are the present Doctor, Matt Smith, as well as David Tennant, Christopher Eccleston, Paul McGann, Sylvester McCoy, Colin Baker, Peter Davison, Tom Baker, Jon Pertwee, Patrick Troughton and the First Doctor, William Hartnell. Also available will be a five stamp miniature sheet featuring the Doctor’s TARDIS in the centre of the sheet with the remaining four stamps featuring some of the Doctor’s famous foes; a Dalek, a Cyberman, an Ood and a Weeping Angel.

The Belgian Post Office, Bpost, has launched a set of special stamps that smell and taste chocolate. More than 500,000 stamps are being printed on special paper imbued with the aroma of cocoa and covered in a varnish to look and smell like chocolate. The five limited edition stamps celebrate Belgium’s renowned chocolatiers and feature chocolate in all its forms. A team of fragrance and taste experts from Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland were involved in creating the collection.

Salisbury fair with TV Presenter and founder of Childline, Esther Rantzen will be signing specially produced show covers at the Salisbury Stamp Fair in aid of Childline. The show takes place at Five Rivers Leisure Centre in Salisbury 15-16th March; Esther will be signing on Friday 15th March.